MATCHWATCH : Coventry City (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday 12th February 2022, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

This match is going to be the delayed 150th birthday celebration game and, while VP is admiring how well Reading play between the goals, the fans are likely to be “celebrating” things a little differently.



Coventry will arrive fresh, sharp and full of the joys that only mid table security can bring. They started the season really quite well and seemed to have carved out a nice little niche for themselves in the play off positions but recently their form has drifted a little and they’re now comfortably in a mid table position that in a month or so will see everyone proclaiming the proverbial “nothing to play for” on their behalf.

The Sky Blues’ form over the last 12 league games has generated 12 points (2 wins and 6 draws) so while it seems there are cracks appearing, and therefore there should be opportunities to be had, it should also be noted that they aren’t especially easy to beat - particularly away from the Ricoh where Coventry have only lost 1 (at Middlesbrough) of their last 5 away games in the league.

Viktor Einar Gyökeres and Matt Godden offer very significant threat as a forward line with 21 goals between them this season. Coventry also bring a Reading connection to the fore in defender Dominic Hyam (now 26) who has made around 150 appearances for the Sky Blues since Stam released him in 2017.

Coventry seem to be fully fit with no injury issues currently while Reading, it would seem, have just Araruna and Dann unavailable and about 5 others who are more or less there but may not be - at least they got to miss the cr@p that was served up at Ashton Gate.

Referee

David “I did the Reading visit to Coventry as well” Webb

Previously

11 Dec 2021 > West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Reading
21 Aug 2021 > Coventry City 2-1 Reading
20 Feb 2021 > Reading 0-2 Middlesbrough
30 Dec 2020 > Swansea City 0-0 Reading
30 Oct 2020 > Coventry City 3-2 Reading
26 Sep 2020 > Cardiff City 1-2 Reading
20 Oct 2018 > Reading 3-1 Millwall
29 Nov 2014 > Norwich City 1-2 Reading
24 Aug 2013 > Blackpool 1-0 Reading
01 Nov 2011 > Nottingham Forest 1-0 Reading
05 Dec 2009 > Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Reading

Historically

The clubs have shared 25 seasons so far with Reading by far the most dominant for league games held in Reading. Of the 25 games played so far Coventry have won on 3 occasions, all at the Mad Stad and all by 2 goals to 1, while Reading have managed 17 wins.

Overall there have been 54 goals from Reading and just 23 from Coventry, the last 6 home games have seen 5 Reading victories and 1 draw (for 13 against 1) so there is also something to try and keep going in this game.

How to follow the game

1. Get ticket. Go.
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
4. Ring/text a mate for updates
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Royals and Racers]

All Reading buses running for this match

[Snowflake Royal]

All Reading buses running for this match

Get them shirts and put them on the pitch.

[Millsy]

What about the main event?

1pm start?

[NathStPaul]

Fcuk turning up at 1pm, its beyond that. Get on the pitch and stop the match, make a stand.

[genome]

Properly cut adrift now. If Derby hadn't been deducted 21 points, we'd be 10 points from safety and basically relegated already.

[genome]

Whoops, meant to put that in the other thread. Ah well

[tidus_mi2]

Properly cut adrift now. If Derby hadn't been deducted 21 points, we'd be 10 points from safety and basically relegated already.

I mean, if you're gonna remove Derby's deduction you have to remove ours too, still, being 4pts from safety is god awful.

[Zip]

Properly cut adrift now. If Derby hadn't been deducted 21 points, we'd be 10 points from safety and basically relegated already.

Well I think we need to factor in our points deduction too!

[Hound]

at a loss now really what to do with this lot and manager. The dropping Swift tactic (arguably justified on his recent form) didn't work, and Swift was prob our best player when he came on. So he will be back.

The interview comments on Ejaria suggest not all well there at all. Maybe a falling out, maybe Covid related, maybe it really is just another training injury, but doubt he'll be back. Hein looked pretty poor, but guess he'll have a run now. Don't think they'll risk McIntyre starting, despite another poor Holmes performance. Laurent put in another shocker.

Still no sign of Halilovic or Dann.

Cov are pretty average and certainly one of the most winnable games left. Defeat here, and don't see how we will pull out of this.

[Zip]

Something clearly isn’t right with Ejaria. Only just back from injury and now missing again.

[CountryRoyal]

at a loss now really what to do with this lot and manager. The dropping Swift tactic (arguably justified on his recent form) didn't work, and Swift was prob our best player when he came on. So he will be back.

The interview comments on Ejaria suggest not all well there at all. Maybe a falling out, maybe Covid related, maybe it really is just another training injury, but doubt he'll be back. Hein looked pretty poor, but guess he'll have a run now. Don't think they'll risk McIntyre starting, despite another poor Holmes performance. Laurent put in another shocker.

Still no sign of Halilovic or Dann.

Cov are pretty average and certainly one of the most winnable games left. Defeat here, and don't see how we will pull out of this.

Cov miles better than Bristol, they will beat us at a canter.

Change needs to be made ASAP, I’ll allow it to be immediately following the Peterborough defeat before I give up hope, but if it isn’t then, then we can plan for a season in league one - without a doubt.

[Millsy]

Something clearly isn’t right with Ejaria. Only just back from injury and now missing again.

Or perhaps the training/medical/etc setup.

[Zip]

at a loss now really what to do with this lot and manager. The dropping Swift tactic (arguably justified on his recent form) didn't work, and Swift was prob our best player when he came on. So he will be back.

The interview comments on Ejaria suggest not all well there at all. Maybe a falling out, maybe Covid related, maybe it really is just another training injury, but doubt he'll be back. Hein looked pretty poor, but guess he'll have a run now. Don't think they'll risk McIntyre starting, despite another poor Holmes performance. Laurent put in another shocker.

Still no sign of Halilovic or Dann.

Cov are pretty average and certainly one of the most winnable games left. Defeat here, and don't see how we will pull out of this.

Cov miles better than Bristol, they will beat us at a canter.

Change needs to be made ASAP, I’ll allow it to be immediately following the Peterborough defeat before I give up hope, but if it isn’t then, then we can plan for a season in league one - without a doubt.

Too late after Posh. The winnable games are now. March is brutal.

[NathStPaul]

Fully aware it won't be this line up but it is what I would do against Coventry.

Southwood

Yiadom
Morrison
McIntyre
Baba

Rinomhota
Laurent
Swift

Camara
Joao
Ince

[YorkshireRoyal99]

That's the worry for me, we cannot afford to throw these games away this month. Bristol City are below average, Coventry are decent but not great, Peterborough are worse than us, Preston are average and Blackpool are decent but not great. They are some pretty favourable fixtures on paper and we can ill-afford to be throwing more points away at the cost of "getting players back".

I don't think we will ever be in an ideal situation with our squad this season, there will always be someone carrying a knock, not match fit etc. It's the Championship, we play a lot of games.

It's clear we are trying to do the right things and our way of playing isn't so much the problem but the man leading it is causing these issues because our confidence is at rock bottom. His situation was unrecoverable after Kidderminster then Fulham, I said so at the time, it's showing how this isn't going to be turned around. I feel for Pauno, his effort is stoic and I quite like him, he's a genuinely decent guy with a nice philosophy, but it's not working here no more.

This game would be an appropriate time to appoint a new manager. Quash the "protest", bumper crowd etc.

Hein, Yiadom, Morrison, McIntyre, Rahman, Laurent, Rinomhota, Ince, Swift, Dele-Bashiru, Joao. Subs: Southwood, Holmes, Meite, Drinkwater, Hoilett and maybe some others youngsters, Camara etc.

[Snowflake Royal]

.................Arbuckle
Harpo, Zeppo, Groucho, Chico
Keaton, Chaplin, IT, Gummo
..............Laurell, Hardy

[Jagermesiter1871]

Whats the party plans for Saturday? When should I aim to get to the MADSTAD? And whats the dress code?

[URZZZZ]

Hein

Yiadom
Morrison
McIntyre
Rahman

Rinomhota
Swift

Ince
Camara
Hoilett

Joao

Southwood Holmes Bristow Laurent Drinkwater Meite Clarke

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

.................Arbuckle
Harpo, Zeppo, Groucho, Chico
Keaton, Chaplin, IT, Gummo
..............Laurell, Hardy

Like the look of that line up. At least with Arbuckle in goal he'll cover most of it.